Daily Archives: June 17, 2016
Jerry Schill, NCFA responds to outdoor columnist Ed Wall
In response to Ed Wall’s Outdoors column, “Fisheries should be managed for all, by all,” I offer the following comments. Mr. Wall mischaracterized my position on the referendum when he wrote that “Jerry Schill…is particularly disturbed by the fact that HB 1122 would allow a referendum on the issue by the state’s voters in the upcoming election in November. He is apparently concerned about citizens all across the state would be allowed to voice their opinions about something that he feels should be controlled solely by persons — and their representatives — in the coastal counties.” I never said such a thing. I do not favor an illegal action, and that is what it would be if the bill in question was passed as Rep. Billy Richardson suggests. On the subject of the net ban: Read the rebuttal here 22:38
The Reef’s Self-Serving Saviours
Virtually every year for the past half-century news reports have bannered dire proclamations by “reef experts” on imminent “threats” to the Great Barrier Reef. This has sustained an ongoing, ever-growing charade of “research” and “management” aimed at saving the reef from a litany of hypothetical threats conjured up by a salvation industry which now costs taxpayers over $100 million annually. Although none of these “threats” have ever proven to be anything other than hypothetical possibilities or temporary fluctuations of nature, the doomsters never cease to rummage through their litany of concerns to find something they can present as urgent in order to keep the funding flowing. Please read this. When you do, substitute issues that affect you in your region, ocean acidification, rising oceans, fish surveys that do not resemble what you actually see in your every day world. Ponder why it doesn’t add up. Its about money. Your livelihood being destroyed while others flourish at your expense. Read the article here 20:55
Federal ocean planning effort met with skepticism in New Bedford
No commercial fishermen attended a Wednesday meeting about a new ocean planning initiative, and a local port leader warned that mistrust of the government — widespread on the waterfront — could be spurring skepticism about the federal effort to gather and utilize public input. State and federal officials including Betsy Nicholson of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) led the event, which drew about 20 people to a third-floor room in New Bedford’s downtown library. The intent was to hear public comment on the draft Northeast Regional Ocean Plan. The plan culminates a four-year effort to compile input from numerous marine industries, environmental groups, public and private officials, tribal entities and others, across all six New England states, for a document that could guide future ocean planning. Read the rest here 18:19
Shrimp became the top value catch for the state’s fishermen – North Carolina shrimp was a big deal
The life of commercial shrimpers can be unpredictable, as supply and the market vary. In 1953, writer Wade Lucas presented an optimistic view of the industry from Morehead City. Rested, ready and eager to get going after what some people down this way refer to as “white gold,” owners and operators of a large fleet of boats will be shoving off from various coastal points … in search of the wily shrimp that are now beginning to move in commercial quantities in State-controlled waters. By 1966, North Carolina shrimp was big business, as detailed by writer Frank Montgomery Jr. It takes an awful lot of shrimp to make all those shrimp cocktails Tar Heels eat in a year’s time. And to see that everybody in the Old North State gets enough of them, big and little shrimp boats, with some sort of trawl hung astern, pursue their quarry all through the year with zeal and gusto. From Pamlico Sound clear down to the South Carolina line, both inside and outside Carolina coastal waters get a regular and thorough going-over by the State’s shrimpers as they seek to supply a demand that never seems to slacken. Interesting. Read the story here 14:58
Haines Alaska: Ready, set, fish! Commercial salmon season starts Sunday
The gillnet fleet in Haines will rumble out of the harbor this weekend for the start of the 2016 commercial salmon fishing season. The first opener is 48 hours long, and starts at 12:01 p.m. on Sunday. Commercial fisherman Tim Hannon is optimistic. The salmon season starts on Sunday, and he says, with mediocre prices and small fish last year, he’s hearing good things about the season ahead. He’s captained the F/V Shotgun for seven years, but has been commercial fishing in Haines for 15, so he’s seen his share of good years and bad. As he loads up his provisions for the first opener, he says he’s heading out Saturday to try and beat the weather. Audio report, read the rest here 12:19
Hang on to those baseball caps and grab some ear protectors! Lobster boat racing season is here
It’s the middle of June and the Maine lobster boat racing season is here. Last year saw some fierce competition despite the absence of two traditional, longtime racing venues. This year, Searsport and Harpswell are both still absent from the schedule, but there could be a potent new challenger for the World’s Fastest Lobster Boat title now held by Foolish Pleasure, and almost certainly, a Canadian invasion. This year’s schedule includes 10 events, with racing in ports all along the coast stretching from Portland to Jonesport. Nine of those events will count toward the Maine Lobster Boat Racing Association’s season-long points championship. The season opens this Saturday morning with the Boothbay Harbor Charlie Begin Memorial Lobster Boat Races. On Sunday, the fleet will head for Rockland to race behind the breakwater inside the harbor. Read the story here 11:15
P.E.I. lobster processors work less as catches shrink
Unlike past seasons, when P.E.I. lobster processors have been scrambling for workers, this year they are working hard to give employees enough hours, as lower lobster landings mean fewer long days at processing plants. “In the past, when there would be a big hit of lobsters, there might by 75, 80-hour work weeks for people in the plants,” explained Dennis King, executive director of the P.E.I. Seafood Processors Association. “We’re not seeing much of that so far this spring, it’s mostly keeping around the 45 to 50-hour work week. I think a lot of employees in the seafood processing business would be used to more hours than that overall.” Read the story here 09:40
Scientist says expanding Hawaii monument is abuse of law
United States President Barack Obama announced a series of measures in 2014 to protect parts of the world’s oceans which include expanding Hawaii’s Papahanaumokuakea monument under the Antiquities Act. The plan would increase the monument, or reserve, fivefold and could reduce the available fishing grounds in the US exclusive economic zone waters around Hawaii from 63 percent to 15 percent. Members of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council said it would be detrimental to Hawaii’s economy, food security and food production as 95 per cent of its fisheries rely on domestic fishing. Paul Dalzell said claims that the expansion would improve conservation were false. “The Antiquities Act was meant to protect small places. Stop them from being overrun by tourists or being stripped by souvenir hunters. And it’s supposed to be the for the smallest area possible. It was never intended to parcel off great large areas of land or indeed to be applied to make these huge expansions of water.” Link 09:19
Obama’s moving closer to creating the world’s largest marine reserve — in Hawaii
Obama may have chosen to locate his library in his adopted home state of Illinois, but a new move by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) suggests he may leave his biggest environmental footprint in his home state of Hawaii. Schatz sent a letter Thursday to the president asking him to consider expanding the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, which President George W. Bush created a decade ago, to more than four times its current size of 139,800 square miles. The senator, who has emerged as a key broker between Hawaiian fishing and other local interests and the federal government, has included a carve-out in his proposal so recreational and subsistence fishing operators from Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau can continue to use certain areas that are outside the monument’s current boundaries. An active fishing spot around the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s weather buoy 51101 would remain open, though all the areas within the expanded monument would be closed to fishing or other forms of exploitation such as deep-sea mining. Read the rest here 08:05
